in ships: wherefore he gave him this, gratifying the king. Ten bars indeed [of the corselet] were of dark cyanus,[1] twelve of gold, and twenty of tin; and three serpents of cyanus stretched toward the neck on each side, like unto rainbows, which the son of Saturn hath fixed in a cloud,[2] a sign to articulate-speaking men. Then around his shoulders he hung his sword, on which glittered golden studs; and a silver scabbard inclosed it, fitted with golden rings. Next he took up his shield, mortal-covering,[3] variously wrought, strong, beautiful, around which were ten brazen orbs. Upon it were twenty white bosses of tin, and in the midst was [one] of dark cyanus. On it a grim-visaged Gorgon was placed as an ornament, looking horribly and around [were] Terror and Flight. The belt was of silver, but round it a snake of cyanus was twisted, and there were three heads entwined, springing from one neck. Upon his head also he placed his helmet, adorned with studs on all sides, having four bosses, crested with horse-hair, and dreadfully nodded the tuft from above. He then took two strong spears, tipped with brass, sharp; and the brass of them glittered afar, even to heaven: and Minerva and Juno thundered above, honoring the king of Mycenæ, rich in gold.
Then indeed each gave orders to his own charioteer to hold there his horses in good order by the fosse; while they themselves on foot,[4] arrayed with their armor, rushed forth; and an inextinguishable clamor arose before morning. And they[5] were marshaled in the foreground with the cavalry at the trench; the cavalry followed at a little interval; but the son of Saturn aroused a dreadful tumult, and sent down dew-drops, moist with blood, from the air above, because he was about to hurl many brave souls on to Hades.
On the other side, on the contrary, the Trojans [drew up] on a hill in the plain around both mighty Hector, blameless Polydamas, and Æneas, who, among the Trojans, was honored by the people as a god; and the three sons of Antenor, Polybus, noble Agenor, and youthful Acamas, like
